Advanced Fertility Surgery

6.1 Million

Couples approximately in the United States, or 10 percent of all couples of childbearing age, have difficulty conceiving.

AFRM is pleased to offer oocyte cryopreservation.

Oocyte cryopreservation, considered non-experimental by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, allows for a woman’s oocytes or eggs to be retrieved, frozen-cryopreserved, and saved for later use to achieve pregnancy.

Oocyte cryopreservation is offered to patients who desire ovarian and fertility preservation due to impending cancer treatments, diseases such as severe endometriosis that puts ovaries, ovarian reserve, and oocyte numbers at risk, and for delayed childbearing due to professional, social, or other reasons.

AFRM and our reproductive Lab, E and A Labs, have validated our oocyte cryopreservation protocols. We have several patients with frozen oocytes being stored, and we already have two patients who used frozen and thawed oocytes here to achieve successful pregnancies that will be delivering in just a few months!”

What You Should Know Before Deciding on Advanced Fertility Surgery

Advanced fertility surgery can correct anatomical barriers to getting pregnant, but many women worry about the pain, downtime and expense of fertility surgery.

Choose an Experienced Reproductive Surgeon

Hysteroscopic fertility surgery provides a view of the uterus, during which a hysteroscope is inserted vaginally and carefully maneuvered into the uterus. Reproductive surgeons like Dr. David T. Vandermolen perform hysteroscopic fertility surgery to treat or diagnose the following:

Hysteroscopic removal of uterine adhesions

Hysteroscopic fibroid removal

Hysteroscopic polypectomy

Laparoscopic surgery, a keyhole technique that uses a lighted telescopic instrument to visualize, and oftentimes, correct the problem,* is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis at ArkLaTex Fertility’s onsite/or preferred surgery center. Applications for laparoscopic surgery include:

Laparoscopic endometriosis resection

Laparoscopic fibroid resection

Laparoscopic pelvic cyst resection

Laparoscopic pelvic adhesion resection

Laparoscopic myomectomy

Dr. Vandermolen is board certified as a reproductive endocrinologist (fertility specialist) and reproductive surgeon. In fact, Dr. Vandermolen is the only reproductive endocrinologist within a two-hour radius of Shreveport-Bossier.

Know What to Expect with Laparoscopic Surgery

*Laparoscopy and hysteroscopy can be used for both diagnostic (looking only) and operative (looking and treating) purposes. –American Society for Reproductive Medicine

One of 2-3 tiny incisions, at the naval and top of the pubic hair line, will be the point of entry for the laparoscope, a fiber-optic tube that Dr. Vandermolen will manipulate to get a comprehensive view of the pelvic cavity, including the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes.

While performing diagnostic surgery, Dr. Vandermolen can correct tubal abnormalities or endometriosis, without the need for scheduling additional procedures.*

After closing the small incisions, you will recover and likely return home the same day.

Expect to return to work 2-3 days after fertility surgery.

Weigh the Benefits of Laparoscopic Fertility Surgery

Open surgery has been replaced by laparoscopic surgery in many instances. Reproductive surgeon Dr. Vandermolen has performed hundreds of laparoscopic day surgeries, and reassures patients that, compared with open surgery, they can expect:

Less pain (smaller incisions)

Decreased blood loss

Minimal tissue damage

Faster recovery

No hospital stay (lowering the cost of treatment)

Applications for Laparoscopic Fertility

Dr. Vandermolen will likely discuss fertility surgery with you if one of these causes of female infertility exists:

Endometriosis

Tubal damage or previous tubal ligation

Pelvic inflammatory disease

Fibroids that may interfere with fertility

Every patient is different, and Dr. Vandermolen may recommend fertility surgery as a first-line treatment, after fertility screening tests are complete. In certain cases, Dr. Vandermolen may advise you to consider fertility drug therapy and/or in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in lieu of surgery.

Whether you require laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis or complex tubal ligation reversal surgery, Dr. Vandermolen will offer guidance, expert care and a comprehensive list of options. At ArkLaTex Fertility, our goal is to maximize your chances of conceiving a baby, with superior, state-of-the-art care delivered by a compassionate healthcare team.

Contact us about fertility surgery, and the minWimally invasive options available at our Northwest Louisiana fertility clinic.